Combination lens-hood and vignetter.



0. R. HOWARD.

COMBINATION LhENSHOOD AND VIGNETItn.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 25, 1914.

. Patented May 4,1915.

CHARLES R. HOWARD, or nwaax, YonK;

COMBINATION LENS-HOOD AND VIGNETTER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES R. HOWARD, acitizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Wayneand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Combination Lens- Hoods and Vignetters, of wliiclithe following is a'specification.

The present invention relates to a com bined lens hood and Vignetter forcameras, and has for its object to provide a. device of this characterwhich embodies novel features of construction whereby it can be readilymounted upon a. camera. and quickly adjusted to .the desired position. i

A. further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is comparatively simple and inexpensive initsconstruction, which can be easily operated with one hand when theoperator is in position behind the camera, which is noiseless in itsoperation, and which can be permitted to fall into an inoperativeposition when it is not desired to use a vignetter.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description pro ceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention,

reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawing, in Y which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a camera providedwith a lens hood and vignetter constructed in accordance with theinvention, portions of the lens hood being broken away and shown insection. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail perspective viewof the vignetter carrying arm. Fig. 4 is a detailview of the clamping bars between which the swinging end of theoperating lever slides. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing amodified construction of the vignetter carrying arm, portions of theshaft being broken away, and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view onthe line 66 of Fig. 5.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, thenumeral 1 designates a camera of the conventional construc-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4., 1915.

Application filed November 25,, 1814. Serial No. 874,041,

tion and 2 a stand upon which the camera is mounted. A hood 3 projectsfrom the front of the camera. so as to surround the camera lens 4 on allsides. The bottom of the hood 3 1s formed with a clearance opening 5through which the vignetter board may be moved up and down, while pivotopenings 6 are formed in opposite sides of the hood toward the bottomthereof. A transverse shaft 7 extends across the hood 3 at a point underthe lens 4, opposite ends of the shaft being formed with the laterallyofi-set pivot studs 8 which are'loosely received within the pivotopenings 6 of the hood. Shoulders 9 .at-the junction of the offset pivotstuds 8 and the ends of the shaft 7 engage the inner sides of the hood 3so as to hold the shaft 7 against longitudinal displacement.

A vignetter arm 10 which is rigid with the shaft 7 projects laterallytherefrom and terminates in a cross head 11 which is formed with asuitable pocket adapted to loosely receive the lower edge of a vignetterboard 12. Projecting rearwardly from the extremity of one of the pivotstuds 8 is a crank arm 13 which provides a means for rocking the shaft 7and is shown in the present instance as terminating in an eye 14. As

shown more clearly by Fig. 3, the shaft,-

100p projecting laterally upon opposite sides of the vignetter arm andthe extremities of the loop being deflected downwardly at 11 to form apocket for the reception of the vignetter board 12.

An operating lever 13 is arranged under the camera stand at the rearthereof, one end of the said operating lever projecting'laterally fromthe stand, while the opposite end thereof is pivotally connected theretoas indicated at 14". This lever 13 passes between a pair of straightbars 15 which are formed of resilient material and have the ends thereofadjustably connected by means of clamping screws 15. These clampingscrews 15 also serve as a means for attaching the straight bars 15 tothe camera stand, and by tightening the screws the resilient bars 15 maybe caused to have a sufficient amount of frictional engagement with theoperating lever 13 to hold the latter in an adjusted position. Aflexible cable such as the cord 17 connects the operating lever 13 tothe eye 14 of the crank arm 13, said cable being shown as passing arounda guide pulley 18 at the front of the camera stand 2. YVith thisconstruction it will be obvious that by swinging the operating lever 13to the front or to the rear the flexible cable 17 may be let out ortaken in as may be required to adjust the vignetter in the requiredmanner. The frictional engagement between the bars 15 and the operatinglever 13 will hold the latter in an adjusted position without thenecessity of tightening any thumb screw, thereby enabling the operatorto obtain a very fine adjustment of the vignetter board withoutdifliculty while in position behind the camera. The tension of theresilient metal bars 15 may be kept sufficiently tight by properlyadjusting the clamping screws 15 so that the operating lever 13 can bemoved. back and forth without difficulty, although when released by thehand it will be held against further movement in either direction.

lhe weight of the vignetter board 12 normally tends to swing the arm 10downwardly so that the vignetter assumes an inoperative position, asindicated by full lines upon Fig. 1. However, by swinging the operatinglever 13 rearwardly the crank arm 13 will be swung downwardly by the.pull produced upon the flexible cable 17 and the vignetter board therebyswung upwardly into operative position, as indicated by dotted linesupon Fig. 1. Any desired elevation of the vignetter board can be readilyobtained by suitably manipulating the operating lever 13, and the partswill then be locked in an adjusted position by the frictional engagementof the spring bars 15 with the lever 13".

A modification is shown by Fig. 5 in which the vignetter arm 10 isformed with a longitudinal guideway 10 having a slot 10 in the basethereof. T he vignetter board supporting cross head 11 is adjustablymounted upon the vignetter arm 10" so as to be moved in and out thereonand clamped in an adjusted position. For this purpose the cross head 11is shown as formed with anrarm 19 terminating in a slide 20 which ismounted within the guideway 10 of the vignetter arm 10 A clamping screw21 is carried by the slide 20 and passes through the slot 10 of thevignetter arm 10". When this screw is loosened the slide can be moved inand out upon the vignetter arm 1O so as to set the vignetter board atany desired distance from the camera lens 4. The parts may then berigidly clamped in position by tightening the screw 21. The transverseshaft 7 of the modified construction, as well as the manner of mountingthe same upon the lens hood 3 and connecting it to the operating lever13, are exactly as previously described, the only difference being themanner of constructing the vignetter arm and cross head and adjustablymounting the said cross head upon the vignetter arm.

Having thus described the invention, what .1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. A combined lens hood and vignetterfor cameras, including a lens hood, a transverse shaft extending acrossthe lens hood and j ournaled thereon, a vignetter arm rigid with thetransverse shaft and projecting late erally therefrom, a vignetter boardcarried by the vignetter arm, and means for rotating the shaft to adjustthe position of the vignetter board within the hood.

2. A combined lens hood and vignetter for cameras, including a lenshood, a transverse shaft extending across the same and journalcdthereon, a vignetter arm rigid with the shaft and projecting laterallytherefrom, a vignetter board, a cross head carried by the vignetter armand formed with a pocket to receive the vignetter board, a crank armrigid with the shaft, a finger actuated adjusting member adapted to bemounted upon the camera stand, and an operative connection between thefinger actuating adjusting member and the crank arm so that the shaftmay be rotated to adjust the position of the vignetter board within thehood.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. HOWARD.

Witnesses Eanns'r F. Fox, M. J. BAYLARD.

